Sudan Clashes Intensify Amid Mounting Civilian Toll

Sudanese Air Force Hongdu JL-8 E jets.

17 December 2024

Dabanga (Port Sudan)

Ed Duweim / El Awj / Tandelti Locality / Um Ruwaba / Wad Madani / Karari / El Fasher — Sudan's civil war shows no signs of abating, with intense fighting reported across multiple fronts over the past 72 hours. Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) positions in scattered areas, while the RSF launched drone attacks and ground offensives against SAF strongholds.

White Nile state

According to recent reports, the RSF initiated a coordinated attack in White Nile state earlier today, targeting the Kenana Air Base and the Ed Duweim locality. Sudanese military officials claimed their air defences successfully intercepted and destroyed two RSF drones.

Violent clashes erupted in El Awj, with SAF forces reportedly repelling a large-scale RSF assault. However, RSF sources asserted they achieved "significant victories" during these confrontations.

North Kordofan

In another incident, the RSF deployed 17 drones in an attack near Wad Ashana in North Kordofan, resulting in the death of one SAF soldier, according to local sources. SAF troops, advancing from the Tandelti locality in White Nile state, clashed with RSF units near El Ghabsha in North Kordofan. Despite reinforcements bolstering RSF positions, SAF forces reported halting the RSF's westward advance.

Violence flared in an area northeast of Um Ruwaba, which witnessed heavy clashes on Sunday. At least 14 people were killed, and 15 others injured. While the RSF claimed the attack targeted SAF-aligned rebels, eyewitnesses reported civilian casualties and denied any SAF presence in the area.

El Gezira

A Sudanese Air Force strike on Wad Madani, the capital of El Gezira State, claimed the lives of at least nine civilians and injured several others, on Sunday. The air raid which targeted an RSF-held houses, also struck surrounding civilian residences, sparking outrage among residents.

Khartoum

SAF media reported a successful ambush against RSF forces near Jebel Kabashi in Khartoum state, yesterday. According to SAF, the operation resulted in 17 RSF fighters killed, four captured, and the seizure of three combat vehicles, alongside other equipment.

In Khartoum state, RSF artillery shelling resumed earlier today in Omdurman's Karari locality. While no injuries had been reported by press time, similar attacks in recent days have caused civilian fatalities, including 22 deaths on 10 December when a bus was struck near El Sawara's Block 17 transport station.

North Darfur

El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, remains a flashpoint. SAF forces reported destroying 13 RSF combat vehicles and killing dozens of fighters during artillery strikes and air raids, on Sunday. An RSF infiltration attempt on the city's southeastern outskirts was repelled after prolonged skirmishes.

Read the original article on Dabanga.